Falling Angels
by BlackArch
Summary: The seventh and final year of the Golden Trio has come. The tension running high due to the presence of Voldemort. A new prophecy has been discovered, acknowledging a new key player in this dangerous game, maybe deciding the winner.
1. Prologue

Falling Angels

By: Chimerablue5 (_Cordatus Viperae_)  
  
_At a time, when a world within the world is on the edge,  
Angels come, calling battle cries to the wind,  
Swords gleaming, steel flashing,  
Solid and seen, yet not and unseen by mortal eyes,  
The unspoken seeks his power.  
  
Hidden amongst those,  
Tainted with sin, yet pure as light,  
Unknowing until the lock has been turned,  
The final battle just over the horizon.  
  
He shall lead, side by side,  
With the one twice lived and the key of shadowed joy at hand,  
The land awash with souls,  
Both pure and sullied,  
The end has come._  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------  
  
"Uggh..." A groan resounded through the darkened chambers. In the shadows of the bedroom, the slight movement could be made. The soft rustles of fabric could be heard as they shifted, disturbed by their owner. The man groggily, and tiredly staggered to his feet, making his way to the bathroom.  
  
With a murmured _Lumos_, light flooded the ornately designed bathroom. Squinting against the sudden light that barraged his eyes, he blearily made his way towards the shower.  
  
A few more slurred words muttered once undressed and inside, he rested his hands on the shower wall in front of him as he let the warm water cascade around him. Wincing a few times as his hands went over newly made cuts and bruises over his body, he scrubbed furiously at his skin, trying to scrape the dirt and flashes of memories that seemed to cling to his very skin.  
  
Stepping out of the shower, hair swinging wetly and skin rubbed to the point of being pink, he walked over to the sink grabbing his robe off of a towel rack. Resting his hands on the side of the porcelain white surface, he looked tiredly up at the mirror above the sink.  
  
Unlike many of the mirrors in Hogwarts, this one was not a magical one, but merely a muggle one. He couldn't stand the incessant comments that the mirror seemed to make as he looked into the mirror. Looking at the person reflected in the glass, black obsidian eyes stared back at the man known as Severus Snape. Damnation and curses apparent in his eyes as he beheld the person that he had become.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Oh, I knew I forgot something in the prologue. Well, here it is now. I don't own neither do I claim to own the wonderful characters or this highly developed and fantastic world. J.K. Rowling and whoever else owns those rights does. Now onto the story...

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Chapter 1

"'Mione!" Julia Granger called, entering the room of her only daughter. It was the day that Hermione had to catch the train on Platform 9 3/4 to arrive at Hogwarts. Mrs. Granger had just finished breakfast and had come up to remind Hermoione of that fact.

Opening the door, fully expecting to find her on the bed reading or looking through sheets of parchment, she was surprised to say the least that Hermione was still in bed, and was sleeping soundly. This struck Julia as odd, since her daughter was usually the first one up, especially when it was the day that she was to go back to her school.

Mrs. Granger, nor her husband, Aaron Granger, knew much on what went on at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, only that their daughter loved going there. If she thought it was ok, then that was enough for them.

Approaching Hermione's bed, Julia was struck by how peaceful her daughter looked right then. It seemed as though there was nothing wrong with the world, and she could just let it slip away. 'Well, sorry to drop in.' She thought ruefully.

"Sweetie…sweetie, 'Mione." Julia sing-songed to the sleeping girl who only responded by burrowing deeper into the covers.

"Not now mum." Hermione mumbled into the fabric of the pillowcase. A mischievous grin came over Julia's face.

"Oh Hermione…" If she had been awake, Hermione would've have recognized the grin as a sign for trouble, but seeing as how she was burrowing even deeper into the covers and her dreams, she had no warning for her mother's next move.

"It's time to…wake up!" Julia exclaimed the last part as she yanked the heavy cover off of Hermione, exposing the girl to the chilly temperature of the room due to the window that she had cracked open the night before. The effect of the chill air and the sudden movement of the blanket being yanked off jerked the soon-to-be 7th year up in her bed.

"Ah!!" Hermione exclaimed, sitting straight up in bed, her heart beating a bit fast, as she looked wildly around for a moment, confusion controlling her actions. As her eyes landed on her mother's form, her eyes narrowed, knowing that her mother was the cause of her sudden and unwanted disturbance. "Mum!" Hermione whined. "Oh, that is _so_ not funny! Payback!" Hermione exclaimed, as she launched herself at her mother with a pillow.

Julia Granger was able to get out a hurried 'eek' before her daughter tackled and spun her onto the bed. Suddenly getting a face full of the pillow that Hermione had swung at her. "Oh so that's how you want play huh?" She asked, joy clear in her voice as she grabbed another pillow and continued the pillow war that her daughter had started.

Still laughing, mother and daughter only paused as Aaron poked his head in, wondering what was holding up his wife and daughter. "Do I have to separate you guys, or are you all ready for the trip down to the station?"

"Ah! What?! Today's the first?! Oh, why didn't you tell me sooner, mum?" Hermione's plaintive wail rose higher and higher.

"Well, that was why I was coming to get you, but, as you can see from the exploded pillow, and feather innards, we kind of got distracted." Julia grinned, raising an eyebrow, making her seem so much younger that her 37 years.

Her father seemed much younger than he actually was. At the age of 45, he still seemed a perfect match for his younger wife. The Grangers, before Hermione's letter, were a normal average family. Even with the oddly breaking items, or things disappearing and reappearing at odd times, they had, and still were a very happy family.

"Now, if you two crazy people don't mind, I think I'll just round up a few more things, then I'll come down and join you for breakfast. Is that okay?"

"Of course honey. We'll see you in a bit, then." Mrs. Granger said, dropping a quick kiss on her daughter's head, as she got up from the double-sized bed.

As the door closed, Hermione made a mad rush around her room looking for the books that she knew were hiding around her somewhat neat/messy room.

It was finally her last year at Hogwarts. The deciding year. Also, the year of N.E.W.T.S. Along with the nervous bundle of energy that accompanied that thought, the idea that she would never have to come to Hogwarts again for classes both saddened and excited her. Hogwarts had been her home for nearly a full seven years, and it was comfortable, like a worn teddy bear. But the chance to go further for her education, to go beyond what was taught in the halls of Hogwarts…Hermione became dizzy just thinking about the books.

Shutting her trunk, making one last quick sweep with her eyes that she didn't leave anything, that she needed, she made her way downstairs for breakfast.

--------------------

"Ah, she awakens!" Hermione smiled at her father, as he announced her arrival in his grandiose fashion.

"Ha, ha. Very funny. So, when are we going to leave for the station? You do remember the departure time is at 11, right?" Hermione asked, fiddling with her hands as she sat down at the table.

"Dear, the train doesn't leave for at least a few more hours, don't worry about it. You'll get there on time."

"And if you don't, you can always use an owl to tell them you missed the train." Aaron smirked, getting smacked lightly on the arm by his wife.

Hermione smiled at the antics of her parents. They weren't exactly what you would expect, having two dentists for parents. Maybe dull, but loving, was probably what would be more up to the mental image that came to mind when you say dentists. These two however…Hermione smiled as she watched them joke. She was lucky to have them, and she cherished that fact. They supported her in almost every endeavor she undertook, even the bad ones like S.P.E.W. in her fourth year. Even though she still believed in the principals of it, she had realized in between the scoffs and rolling of eyes that she couldn't really change ideas that had been pounded into the minds of wizards for countless generations. If there were more like her, it might have been a different story, but that just wasn't the case.

Giving a small sigh for her failed endeavor, she brightened up again, seeing a small bit of egg sly past her and land with a tiny splat on the floor.

"Didn't grandma ever teach you guys never to play with your food?" Hermione asked, the corners of her lips twitching with the effort to keep the smile back and the serious look on her face.

"Oh, why bother? I can always clean the mess up later. At least before the flies set in anyway." Julia said laughingly, even as she got up to pick the bits and pieces that decorated the white tiled floor and white linen of the table.

Rolling her eyes at her mom, Hermione finished up her breakfast, standing up to wash and put away her plate. Going up the stairs two at a time, she quickly brushed her teeth, grinning as she noticed the magically corrected teeth. Her parents had given her a bit of a yell since they had wanted to correct it by muggle means, but they had conceded to her arguments…eventually.

Grabbing her trunk that was full of her Hogwarts supplies and the carrier for Crookshanks, she dragged both items as Crookshanks himself followed her down the stairs at his own leisurely-borderline-lazy pace.

"Okay, I'm ready!" Hermione called, as she set her heavy luggage at the front door.

"Yes, well, we can see that." Julia remarked with a smirk as she looked at her daughter and her luggage. And don't forget the cat. "And look, Crookshanks even decided to make it easy for you this year and came down by himself." Julia smirked.

"I know. Weird. Anyway, you remember that I have to be there early this year, right mum?"

"Yes, yes, while you were up collecting your stuff, your dad went and started up the car. He's waiting for the guest of honor." Hermione's mother joked, collecting Crookshanks and securing him into the carrier. The half-kneazle giving her a bored look, then flopping down onto its side and promptly going to sleep.

"Well, at least Crooks is comfy." Hermione said, smiling at her cat. Really intelligent and helpful when needed, lazy and cute every other time. Taking the carrier from her mom slowly and putting him into the center seat next to her, she sat and got ready for her last year in Hogwarts.

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Well, as you can see, this was mostly a Hermione-centered chapter. I have to give her sometime too since after all, she is the other main character besides Snape. Well, until I finish the next chapter then. ja ne


	3. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Well, I'd like to thank all of those who've reviewed. To tell the truth, I wasn't really expecting a lot in the first place. And to answer Rain's Excalibur, the whole Snape bit will be explained, especially since he's one of the two main characters.  
  
================  
  
Chapter 2  
  
August 13, 1997: Hogwarts  
  
Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Severus Snape woke up to greet...well, growl, at the morning.  
  
'God, I hate mornings. Why in hell's fire did I let Dumbledore convince me to put windows in here?' Snape mentally grumbled, as he lifted his hand to block the morning rays until he could escape into his bathroom.  
  
Closing the door behind him, he murmured _Lumos_ to light the candles that let off a soft glow. Removing his sleeping garments, Snape still half- asleep clambered into the shower. With another murmured word, the showerhead started, causing water at the perfect temperature to cascade down onto the suddenly awaked Potions Professor. Scrubbing absent mindedly, Severus Snape thought back to the past week, thinking it had probably been the most exhausting and tiring week yet. And that even included a week full of dunderheads blowing up cauldrons left and right. Just thinking about the incompetent idiots gave him a shudder. Rubbing his hair with the shampoo, his mind drifted again to the week that had started to wear down all the emotional barriers that he'd set up to keep himself from breaking down under the stress.  
  
_Dumbledore looked towards Hogwarts' current Potions Master, who was currently Glaring down at his breakfast meal as though it were responsible for all the troubles in the world. The Headmaster merely smiled, behind his glass of pumpkin juice.  
  
Severus on the other hand was glowering. It hadn't been his idea to come up and join the rest of the staff for breakfast. Dumbledore in his unerring wisdom (scoffs) thought it a good idea for him to come up from the dungeons and 'mingle'. The very word made Snape want to scowl harder.  
  
Suddenly, the cry of an owl disrupted the quiet chatter of teachers, which then picked up again. The lull of voices came again, when the rare eagle owl swept and landed in front of Snape. Looking up from his breakfast, Snape looked at the bird suspiciously before pulling the letter from its leg. Giving the bird a bit of toast while glancing at the envelope, Snape froze when he recognized the handwriting. Only moving after the eagle owl had nipped his empty fingers, Snape quickly opened the letter and scanned its contents quickly after making sure that he could be the only one to read it. Seeing a date and time a week from now, Snape hid the envelope into one of his many pockets, and stood abruptly from the table.  
  
"Headmaster, I will be leaving in a weeks time. I'll be back by the beginning of term." Snape said, his mind racing with ideas of why Demerius would write to him, and only coming up with one explanation.  
  
"Severus?" Dumbldore said, wondering what could have upset his Potions Professor to have to leave so abruptly.  
  
"May I speak with you in private then, if you must know now?" Severus responded impatiently, knowing that he had to take his leave soon.  
  
"Of course, in my office then." Dumbldore said, taking the teachers' passageway behind the staff table.  
_  
'The beginning of probably the crappiest, and anxious filled week of my life' Snape thought sourly, snapping out of his reverie, shutting off the shower at the same time.  
  
Climbing out, and wrapping a towel around his waist, Snape went to stand in front of the sink, rifling around the cabinet to find the shaving blade. Noticing the blood stains around the sink drain, Severus turned the faucet on to run the water and blood down the drain. Looking up at his reflection in the mirror, he glanced down again down at the blade in his hand.  
  
Giving another sigh, he began the tedious task of shaving, knowing that he'd be going to rendezvous that day with someone he hadn't wanted to see again, at least for a long, long time.  
  
--------------------------  
  
"Bye mum, I'll see you on one of the breaks. I'll owl you telling you when," Hermione said, giving her mom a hug and a kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Fine, fine. Even though you know those birds sweeping in disturb me."  
  
"I know, but there isn't really any other way unless you mind installing a fireplace." Hermione joked, pulling back from the hug.  
  
"No thanks, I'll take disturbed wife over large bill." Aaron said, smiling, pulling his daughter into his own tight hug.  
  
Hermione laughed as Julia feigned anger and smacked her husband lightly on the arm.  
  
"Well, call, owl, whatever. We'll see you on the next break you can tear yourself away from that library of theirs." Julia smiled, stepping back, giving her daughter room to go through the barrier.  
  
"I will mom. Love you." Hermione called, setting a brisk pace towards the barrier.  
  
"Love you too." The last thing that Hermione heard from her parents before walking through the seemingly solid column that actually led to the platform of 9 3/4.  
  
"You know, that still looks odd, no matter how many times I see it. I always expect her to smack into the wall or something." Julia said to her husband, who was looking at the wall where his daughter disappeared.  
  
"I know exactly what you mean honey. I know exactly what you mean." Aaron said, shaking his head, then guiding his wife to the entrance.  
  
-------------------------------------------  
  
Clearing the barrier, the sight of the Hogwarts Express was a calming one, with the deep chug of the engine and the puffs of gray smoke that rose from the top of the train. Hauling her trunk behind her, she dragged the heavy luggage to the open compartment.  
  
Boarding the train, she headed to the back of the train as she had been instructed to in her letter that she received during the middle of the summer.  
  
_Dear Miss Granger,  
  
It is my hope that you are enjoying a pleasant summer and I hope that this letter finds you well. I find it to be my honor to announce that along with your Prefect duties, which you are to be this year's Head Girl.  
  
Congratulations on earning your new title, and I trust that you shall uphold the responsibilities that come with it. On September 1st, you shall have to arrive at Platform 9 3/4 one hour earlier than normal. As Head Girl, you shall be seated with the Head Boy, as well as the returning teachers taking the train back to Hogwarts. Again, congratulations, and I wish you well until I see you again for the upcoming term.  
  
Sincerely Your Head of House,  
Minerva McGonagall  
_  
On receiving her letter, she promptly had begun to bounce up and down, startling her parents until she was able to tell them, which then they joined her in her celebration. After the adrenaline had gone, her father and mother had taken her out to treat her to whatever she wanted for the day to celebrate.  
  
Now she found herself somewhat nervous and wondering what she would have to do for her new Head Girl duties. She all ready knew the regular Prefect duties, seeing as how she had been one for two years previously, not counting the current one.  
  
Juggling Crookshanks' carrier into her other hand, she reached to open the door of the last compartment reserved for the Head Boy and Girl, and of course the returning teachers.  
  
Suddenly, the door swung open, nearly startling her enough to drop Crookshanks. Hissing could be heard from the carrier, as she looked up into the obsidian eyes of her Potions Professor, Severus Snape.  
  
"Well, what are you waiting for, you silly girl, get in." He snapped, spinning around quickly in the other direction to gracefully sit down in a plush chair.  
  
Shaking off the sudden paralysis that had taken over her, she even more nervously walked in, looking around the compartment. It was much more spacious than that of the other compartments. It was far larger than one should be, (magic of course) and the seats were separate and looked suspiciously like recliners. Two of said chairs were occupied, one by the glowering Potions Master, the other by, who she assumed was Head Boy, Terry Boot who was currently rather pale and sitting ramrod straight. Probably nervous because of the close proximity to the snarky Snape.  
  
That thought nearly gave her a set of giggles, which she promptly shut up with a glare from the irritated-looking teacher. Taking the nearest seat to Terry, she placed Crookshanks onto one of the small side tables that decorated the room. Smiling reassuringly at Terry, who gave a shaky smile back, she settled into her seat. Rather uncomfortable and silent moments passed, until Hermione couldn't stand it anymore. The train hadn't even started its way onto Hogwarts and they were all ready being cowed by the mere presence of Snape.  
  
"So, Terry, I guess that I should congratulate you on earning the Head Boy title, seeing as how you're here?" Hermione asked politely, trying to strike up some sort of conversation in the strained atmosphere.  
  
"Oh, uh, u-um yes, and I suppose y-you're the new H-Head Girl?" Terry asked nervously, shooting glances towards Snape.  
  
"Yes, I'm a little nervous actually. I mean, I've been a Prefect, but I've been wondering what the added duties for Head Girl would be." Hermione replied, wondering if Snape would just ignore them, or quietly in that disquieting voice of his to kindly shut up.  
  
Her answer came quickly to her discomfort. "Well, Miss Granger, would you hold onto that curiosity of yours and wait so that you may find out at another time?" Professor Snape sneered, not even looking up from the article that he was reading out of _Ars Alchemica_.  
  
Noticing the title of the acclaimed Potions Journal, Hermione didn't even notice as Terry got up and slipped out of the cabin, leaving Snape and her alone.  
  
"Is that the latest copy?" Hermione asked, testing the waters. Snape merely ignored her, intent on his reading. Mustering up the famous Gryffindor courage, she charged straight ahead, not even bothering to think about exactly whom she was talking to.  
  
"Did you read that rubbish in the experimental section in the last issue? The idiot was trying to modify the potion by adding an increased amount of jobberknoll feathers and adding belladonna and alihotsy. That would increase the affects of the hysteria that the belladonna would induce, and the person ingesting it would probably be driven mad permanently. Anyone with a brain would...have..." Hermione trailed off into the silence that followed her last word. Her courage seemed to give a fat plop, as she seemed to deflate.  
  
Severus however had stopped reading at the mention of the modified potion. He himself had caught the same mistake of the writer. Instead of leaving her hanging, as he normally would have, he took up the viewpoint of the author, and asked, "but what about the increased amount of jobberknoll? Wouldn't that reduce the hysteria affects of the belladonna while using the essence of the ingredient to enhance the potion?"  
  
Startled, Hermione hadn't been expecting his voice. At least this slightly less-than-normal sneering one. Shyly glancing up to look at Snape's face, she found his eyes still glued to the paper, though they had stopped moving along the words. Looking at a glance, he seemed as though he was still reading, but at further inspection, he seemed to actually be somewhat...interested?  
  
"Well, in my readings, I've found that the alihotsy besides increasing the potency of all aspects in belladonna, it also decreases the affects of the feathers, since alihotsy is poisonous to..."  
  
"Jobberknolls, yes, yes I know." Snape said, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture. He eyed the Hermione who was sitting almost directly across from him. Very good. Very good indeed. Severus Snape was not one so easily impressed. Yet this girl-or young woman- had done just that, impressed him. The work that had been published had been done by a graduate student, in his mind should be kicked out of the university that he was studying at the idiot. Snape himself had taken a cursory look at his work, and had found several mistakes in the first paragraph.  
  
Any other 7th year, he wouldn't have expected to even know the differences between the alihotsy plant and the poisonous cousin of it, belladonna, let alone know why the ingredient would affect the potion if added. He should have known however that the Granger girl would have known. She was a voracious reader who almost matched himself in his appetite of all things in written.  
  
Setting his paper down, he looked Granger in the eye. He saw a flash of doubt and fear that was quickly covered and pushed aside by her determination and confidence. Not many people that young were so confident in themselves. To understand what they know, and have the confidence to back it up. Impressive. Very impressive.  
  
After almost 5 complete minutes of scrutinizing, Hermione began to feel more self-conscious and began to fidget in her seat a bit. Leaning back into his seat, he snapped at the girl, "stop fidgeting Granger." Instantly, she sat up straight, giving her utter attention like she normally would in his class.  
  
"Well, if you believe yourself to know most of the intricacies of Potion making, why don't you tell me your point of view on this particular potion?"  
  
'Well, that was a broad question. And I think a little insulting too. Dammit.' "Well sir..." The two continued on, neither noticing when the train began to start to move, nor the absence of the Head Boy.  
  
When the Hogwarts Express came to a halting stop, Hermione looked up from the argument she had just been about to deliver to look around confused.  
  
"If you hadn't noticed, we've arrived." Snape said, in a low voice. He had even been surprised, not noticing the time flying by so quickly. Realizing that the girl had stayed with him of her own free will. "I'll leave you to get into your school robes then." Standing up from his seat, the copy of _Ars Alchemica_ disappearing into his robes, he headed towards the door. "Oh, and Miss Granger, don't think that you've earned any special treatment." Snape sneered, not quite as maliciously as he could of though, Hermione noticed. With that parting statement, Snape closed the door with a snap.  
  
Exhaling, Hermione got up from her seat as well, taking out her robes and un-shrinking them with her wand, she changed quickly into her school robes. Pinning her Head Girl badge onto her robe, Hermione took another deep breath. Realizing something had occurred between her and the Potions Master, she realized that she had to go out and help the Prefects direct the younger classmen.  
  
As though reacting to her thoughts, Terry Boot opened the cabin door and stuck his head in. After a cursory look, Terry looked to Hermione. "You ready? You can leave your familiar here, the House Elves will get him. We've got to go."  
  
"All right, let's go." Working a kink out of her back from sitting too long, she stretched a bit as Terry waited for her.  
  
Looking at her incredulously, he looked at her through narrowed eyes. "Did you stay in there the whole ride?"  
  
"Yes, why? I thought we were supposed to stay here." Hermione asked bewildered, as they got off the train.  
  
"It wasn't mandatory. You could have just left your luggage and gone and sat with your friends. Don't tell me you actually sat with the greasy bat of the dungeons?" Terry asked, his tone half joking, half mortified.  
  
"Well, I couldn't very well have just left him there, I mean, that would have been impolite." Hermione asked, going around, looking for Harry and Ron.  
  
"Whatever. Well, I'll see you at the Prefects meeting I guess." Terry said, waving a little as he blended into a group of Ravenclaws.  
  
Calling out to them, Hermione yelled, "Harry! Ron!"  
  
"Hermione!"  
  
"'Mione!"  
  
"Hey it's good to see you guys again. Come on, we can talk on the carriage." Skirting around the black Thestrals, (ever since she could see them, she found them utterly disconcerting) Hermione climbed into the carriage, followed by Harry and Ron.  
  
"How have you guys been? I didn't get that many owls from you this summer." Hermione said, looking between the two boys.  
  
"Well, Dumbldore said to cut down on the owls. With Voldemort so close to rising, he didn't want to take any chances." Ron replied, looking sheepish.  
  
"Oh, I understand." Hermione said, fingering her Head Girl's badge.  
  
Noticing the badge, Harry was quick to speak up. "Congratulations on being Head Girl. Though everyone knew that you would be." Harry teased, giving Hermione a small smile, his jade eyes twinkling slightly with amounts of amusement and sadness.  
  
Wanting to avoid any tenseness, Hermione responded. "Yea, like I said in my letter, my parents went nuts and we went celebrating after I got my letter."  
  
"Yea, about that, why didn't you come to Headquarters?" Ron blurted. Harry elbowed him in the ribs, getting a 'what?' in response.  
  
Rolling her eyes at her best friends, sometimes she wished they were just a bit different. But then, they wouldn't be them. "You guys know I wanted to spend some time with my parents. This is my final year at Hogwarts, and I probably will be going to university once the summer after the year is over. I want to spend as much time as I possibly can with them." Hermione said, addressing both boys, seeing the curiosity in Harry's eyes as well.  
  
"Well, I guess I can understand that." Ron said. 'He probably didn't', Hermione thought, thinking about how different their situations were. Ron's family was so big, he could probably fall back on any one of his siblings for help and all of them were rooted into the wizarding world. She on the other hand, was from a completely muggle background, and had no connections to the wizard world besides her studies and friends. Even Harry was The Boy Who Lived, and probably couldn't disappear from this magical world even if he wanted to.  
  
"So has there been any news on You-Kno- I mean Voldemort?" Hermione asked. She had been trying to get over using the silly replacement for the Dark Lord's name. It still bothered Ron, as Hermione saw him cringe. Harry however just sat calmly in his seat, albeit a bit more stone-faced than a second before.  
  
"No, I haven't really heard anything. We eavesdropped a bit in the meetings at Grimmauld, but we couldn't really get much. All that I could gather was that Voldemort is trying to find this weapon or some such." Harry answered, his voice a degree or two chillier whenever he spoke of Voldemort.  
  
There was an uncomfortable silence that lasted until the carriage stopped with a jerk. Harry snapped out of his mood, the light coming back into his green eyes.  
  
"I guess we better get going then. They aren't going to wait for us to start the feast!" Harry said, getting up to exit the carriage.  
  
"You said it!" Ron said, eager to get to the food that was probably waiting to appear with a clap from Dumbledore.  
  
Hermione just rolled her eyes at her two friends insatiable appetites. Climbing out of the carriage after them, she looked up at the magical castle that was Hogwarts. That odd feeling of anxiousness overcame her again, and Hermione just knew that this was the year something was going to change everything, and for some reason, she couldn't wait.

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Author's Note2: Mainly, just wanted to tell you guys if you saw something completely wrong with my 'Potion's Talk', it's because I don't know a wit about Potions. I just bluffed my way through it. Potions isn't really the main idea of this story, so it's not really that important anyway. Oh, and the Ars Alchemica journal was made up, I think. I read it somewhere in a fanfic. Not really sure which at this point though. So, whoever came up with that, well, I credit them. Till next time I update then.  
  
-ja matta ne


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
Severus Snape, Potions Master of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Dueling Master, and spy for the Order of Phoenix, was bone tired.  
  
When he had boarded the Hogwarts Express, Snape hadn't even tried to apparate to Hogsmeade. The way he had been, he had had a better chance of splinching himself rather then getting back to the school in one piece.  
  
Now here he was, waiting with the rest of the staff for the remaining upper- classmen to take their seats and also for McGonagall to lead a new pack of fresh-faced, in his opinion, dunderheads. Going over the memories of the last half-month, Snape wondered what he was going to tell Dumbldore.  
  
_With the crack that normally came with apparition, Severus looked around his new surroundings.  
  
Knowing what the climate was going to be like, Snape had discarded his robes and frock coat in favor of the black dress pants and black button- dress shirt. Casting a cooling charm before he left Scotland, he had apparated straight to Cairo, Egypt to meet his contact.  
  
Looking around for the meeting point, Snape made to look as inconspicuous as he could. Which was somewhat hard, considering the black attire and his skin tone. Sticking to what shadows he could find, he made his way to the meeting point in the bustling market he had stepped into from his apparition point.  
  
Thankfully it was a wizard market that had been the point of contact in the letter, so it didn't look odd appearing from nowhere and carrying around a wand.  
  
Stepping into dimly lit pub, Snape had to stop for a moment to let his eyes adjust to the decreased level of light.  
  
Gliding towards the bar at the side of the room, Severus ordered a butterbeer, knowing that it wouldn't be a good idea to become intoxicated in any way. Picking a spot in a corner of the room covered with shadows, he made his way silently, ignoring the questioning look that was occasionally sent his way. His very demeanor screaming 'don't bother me'.  
  
Watching the door to the pub, the Potions Master watched as people came and went, wondering when Demerius would get there. Pulling out a pocket watch, he checked the time.  
  
"Your butterbeer." A man said, setting his order onto the table.  
  
"Yes, ye-" Stopping mid-sentence, with his hand frozen in a dismissing gesture. Snape merely stared at the worn, kindly, smiling face of Demerius Talormmi.  
  
"You're vocabulary has improved since the last time I met with you." Demerius said, a small smirk curling the side of his mouth.  
  
Demerius Talormmi was an average sort at first glance. Average height, regular complexion for one in Egypt. But if one were to take a closer look, you'd be somewhat surprised. With blue eyes that twinkled enough to rival Albus, wisdom and secrets buried beneath layers of time were what lay behind the blue irises. With graying hair that shot through his brown hair, it made him seem dignified, about the age of 40, a little older than that of Severus' 37 years. But Severus knew better. For Demerius had looked exactly the same, almost 20 years ago. As this thought crossed his mind, the same exited his mouth. Before he could stop, "Well, you certainly don't look like you've change much in 20 years." Cursing whatever lingered around this man, his usual Slytherin discretion seemed to go out the window whenever he spoke to Talormmi.  
  
Demerius just gave a short chuckle, grabbing the booth that was across from Severus. "It's good to see you, even though I'm sure that you didn't particularly want to see me." Cocking his eyebrow at the man seated across from him who was observing him from atop his butterbeer glass.  
  
"Yes, well, under the circumstances..."  
  
"The circumstances." Sighing, Demerius leaned back into his seat. "Well about those circumstances, I believe we should adjourn to somewhere a bit more, private, might I say?" With that, he got up and walking leisurely to the back of the pub where a case of stairs led to, what Severus surmised, were rooms above.  
  
Leaving the bill for the half-drunk butter beer, Severus quickly followed and climbed the stairs behind Demerius. Wondering if it was secure enough to discuss what they were most likely going to discuss, Snape quickly stopped that line of thinking as the corridor suddenly changed into a vast library of unending scrolls and books. Looking behind him, Severus found a closed door that he didn't quite remember going through. Bewildered, he looked towards Demerius who had stopped at a lone desk that was rather large for a single person.  
  
"Oh, don't look so confused Sev," Severus scowled at the name, "you didn't really think that we would speak in one of those rooms, did you?" Demerius asked, smiling as he looked at Snape.  
  
"Well, no, but where exactly are we?" the Potions Master asked, experiencing a sense of déjà vu. He felt as though he'd been here before, but he couldn't quite remember this place.  
  
"Ah, well, you wouldn't remember this place, even though you've been here before." At Severus' questioning glance, Demerius waved a hand at an extra chair that had suddenly appeared. "Sit down, would you? You might not remember everything that I tell you here, but maybe some of it. You may as well know all of it while you are here.  
  
"You see, my friend, whenever a person were to leave this place, their minds are wiped of everything that might lead that back here. The rest of their memories are left intact, just the information that might expose the location of this place. The only person this does not apply to, is the_ Librum Custodium_, or in the popular language these days, Library guardian, namely, me."  
  
'Well, that sort of explains the déjà vu I suppose.' Snape thought to himself. The only thing he could remember from their last encounter was deciding that the prophecy couldn't be kept here, and would be better off destroyed or locked away in whoever's memory it was held in. "If my memory is correct, and was not altered, I believe I asked that if you were to come across anything,_ interesting_, you would contact me, yes?" He asked, as he looked at the seemingly never-ending library.  
  
"Yes, well that's why you're here. I had recently catalogued a new prophecy about a little more than a week ago. It appears that all the things that's going around in the British Isles match with all the aspects of the prophecy."  
  
"Oh?" 'Not another one. Damn, we all ready have one, there's another one?' Sighing, Severus continued. "When exactly was the prophecy made?"  
  
"About maybe 60 to 80 years ago."  
  
"What? And it took this long to find?"  
  
"Well, this is a rather large library as you can see." Demerius retorted with a roll of his eyes as he waved behind him, indicating the endless scrolls and tomes.  
  
Snape conceded on that point. "Touché. So, what does this prophecy have to say?"  
_  
As Severus snapped from his memories, the last few seventh years trickled in, among them, the Golden Trio.  
  
====================  
  
As Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way to their seats, they were relieved to see that they had made it before McGonagall. Taking a cursory look at the staff table, Hermione saw that all the teachers were where they should be, with Lupin where the DADA professor would be.  
  
Giving a small wave and a smile, Hermione greeted the werewolf. He gave a small smile back, greeting her and the other 2/3 of their trio. Her eyes slid to the left, meeting the black gaze of Professor Snape.  
  
Their eyes locked, unable to look away. Hermione couldn't read the look that was dancing just out of reach of the surface. Continuing to look, trying to see what was hidden in her surly teacher's eyes. Suddenly, the connection was broken, as the Headmaster caught the Potions Master's attention, breaking his avid concentration on her.  
  
"'Mione? 'Mione? You there?" Ron asked from beside her as she shifted her attention from the staff table to her friends.  
  
"Yea, Hermione. You sort of lost focus after waving hi to Professor Lupin." Harry said, looking at his friend in concern.  
  
"I'm fine you guys. Just a little...lost in thought is all." Hermione answered, giving a small smile to reassure the two boys.  
  
Harry accepted her answer, shrugging and giving a smile in return while Ron grinned. "Lost in thought, huh? After Lupin said hi back? Do I sense a small crush going on here?"  
  
"What? No!" Hermione said, a little too quickly. 'I guess they didn't notice that I wasn't looking at Lupin. That could be a good thing, knowing them.'  
  
"Admit it, you've got a crush!" Ron teased, nudging her with his elbow.  
  
"No I have not got a crush." Hermione snapped, her face blushing a light red.  
  
"Yes, I believe you." Ron replied in a tone saying the exact opposite.  
  
"Ron, cut it out." Hermione said, a threatening tone in her voice.  
  
"All right, all right, I'll stop." Ron said, with his hands in a surrender position.  
  
"You realize, you've just given him something to tease you about all year, right?" Harry asked, his smile due to the antics of their redheaded best friend.  
  
"Yes, I know." Hermione sighed. Shaking her head, she turned her attention to the Headmaster who had cleared his throat for their attention.  
  
"Welcome, to another year at Hogwarts," Dumbledore began after the Sorting Hat had finished its song. "I have a few announcements to start off the new school year."  
  
Hermione and the two boys spaced out a little, the Headmaster's speech almost exactly the same as the previous years. It was somewhat amusing, watching the first years in awe of the somewhat Merlin-like wizard standing up and speaking nonsense for half his speech. Hermione was yanked from her drifting when the Headmaster called her name.  
  
"I would also like to present this year's new Head Boy and Girl, Terry Boot and Hermione Granger." Dumbldedore gave polite applause, signaling for both to stand.  
  
Hermione stood somewhat reluctantly, and from what she could see of Terry, he didn't really like the spot like either. Giving a small wave to the student body, she quickly sat down to disappear into the crowd again. Looking up at the high table, she noted that while she had expected the small proud faces from Dumbledore, McGonagall and Lupin, she was a little surprised to see a glimmer of pride in the eyes of Snape. It was of course quickly wiped from his face, and Hermione doubted she had even seen it, but it gave her a warm feeling, knowing that maybe the taciturn man might not hate her or think her as irritating as she had initially gathered.  
  
==================

Well, there's the new chapter. Sorry it took a while to post. I had a bit of a writer's block and whatnot. Hope you enjoyed and as always, review.

-Me


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